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Shi Quan Da Bu Tang

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It is used in traditional Asian medicine to treat fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, dry or scaly skin, night sweating, dryness of mouth, and cancer. Breast cancer patients should consult with their physicians before using this formula because dong quai and ginseng may stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

Purported Uses

Loss of Appetite
Evidence is lacking to support this claim.

Anemia
Clinical data show that the formula helps improve anemia.

Cancer treatment
Studies in mice suggest that shi quan da bu tang has anticancer and antimetastatic effects.
Small studies of cancer patients showed that it may help improve survival and decrease chemotherapy-associated side effects.

Dry skin
Evidence is lacking to support this claim.

Dryness of mouth
Evidence is lacking to support this claim.

Fatigue
This formula is traditionally used for fatigue. A clinical trial is underway to determine the effectiveness.

Preclinical studies have shown that shi quan da bu tang protects against Alzheimer’s disease (13); prevents muscle atrophy by lowering oxidative stress (19); has antitumor and antimetastatic effects (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(12); exerts radioprotective effects (7); and protects against myelosuppression induced by anticancer drugs (17). Clinical data indicate that it helps improve anemia (14)(15)(16); and is effective in preventing recurrent acute otitis media in children (20).
In oncology settings, the formula has been reported to exert immunomodulatory effects in pancreatic cancer patients (21); to increase survival time in patients with advanced lung cancer (8); and to alleviate hematotoxicity in patients with breast carcinoma receiving chemotherapy (18). Additional trials are underway to determine effectiveness against cancer-related fatigue (22) and anorexia (23); as well as cold hypersensitivity in hands and feet (24).

Breast cancer patients should consult their physicians before using this formula because dong quai and ginseng may stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells (11).

Purported Uses

Loss of Appetite

Anemia

Cancer treatment

Dry Skin

Dryness of mouth

Fatigue

Night Sweating

Mechanism of Action

Studies using murine models suggest that shi quan da bu tang has antitumor and antimetastatic effects (2)(3)(4)(6) that are mediated by stimulation of macrophages and natural killer cells. The formula also showed radioprotective effects evidenced by an increase in spleen colony forming units in mice exposed to radiation (7); along with stimulating hemopoiesis, in vitro (9).

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to any of the components in the formula.

Herb-Drug Interactions

S-1(Tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil): In a murine model, repeated doses of shi quan da bu tang were shown to inhibit the absorption of gimeracil, an inhibitor of 5-FU metabolism, leading to increased elimination and reduced plasma level of 5-FU. Clinical relevance is not known (25).